Bruce Barth, despite his professorship at Temple University, is no stodgy jazz egghead. He is a working musician with an abundance of technique, a seemingly bottomless well of ideas and is a composer of considerable skill with a contemporary and inventive approach, with many of the works here being Barth originals. Barth's solos are witty and insightful while his innate harmonic sense makes him a perfect accompanist when backing solos by others. Joining the front line is the masterful vibes player Steve Nelson, who always swings hard, but also manages to play with a soulful lyricism.

Pianist Eric Reed has claimed that Monk's music makes it possible "to travel way out there, if you're willing to go where it can take you." on the Baddest Monk, Reed and his colleagues prove more than willing. The Monk classics recorded here illustrate the breadth of Reed's thought on one of the most idiosyncratic of jazz composers. Reed and his ensemble are able to penetrate to the very core the Monk's writing, dismantle it's component parts and reassemble them so that they contain not only the essence of Monk, but that of the players themselves.

Here, performing music written by and associated with Miles Davis, vocalist Giacomo Gates proves, as he did with his historic Gil Scott-Heron recording, that great music is not bound to the instrument on which it was created. Though there are notable contributions from pianist John Di Martino, laying down some tasty changes, and Freddie Hendrix sounding quite Miles-like in his muted utterances this disc is all about Giacomo Gates joyously creating music both carefully rehearsed and on the spot while all the time spreading that joy to his audience.

MAGICIAN

Jerry Stiller wrote to Pamela Luss saying, "You're in great company: Billie, Ella, and Helen Humes. They all had soul and so do you. Thank you for changing my universe when you sing." After hearing her newest Savant recording you'll agree that Pamela Luss is unique among the jazz/cabaret stars of today. With tenor sax great Houston Person weaving in and out of Pamela's sweet-toned vocal lines, "Sweet and Saxy" certainly personifies the phrase "truth in advertising." Recorded after an appearance at NYC's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Pamela and Houston bring a rare interplay to the music.

MOVIN ON

DREAMS & STORIES

TRIPLE PLAY